Dad and daughter duo conquer Mount Kilimanjaro for a good cause
A father and daughter duo has just returned home to Fredericton after experiencing an adventure of a lifetime.
Last year, Brian and Forest Jones set their sights on scaling the highest mountain in Africa together - Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. The plan became reality for the two this past December.
“It was insanely nerve-wracking,” says Forest Jones.
“The whole entire journey to get to the base of the mountain, I was constantly thinking of ‘What happens if I don’t make it up? What happens if you get sick halfway up?’ So all that’s left to do is your best and just walk for so many hours a day.”
It wasn’t just the physical climb the two had to contend with, altitude, nutrition and climate zone changes presented a challenge as they made their way up the mountain.
“Your extremes do go from plus 30 in the rainforest to minus 20, minus 25 at the summit,” says Brian Jones.
“Which makes it a logistical nightmare from a clothing perspective because you have to obtain all of these clothes – one minute you’re wearing a t-shirt and the next minute you’re wearing three layers and two coats.”
After five and a half days of climbing more than 19,000 feet, the pair made it to the top – just in time for a sunrise.
“It felt absolutely amazing, it was a lot of pain for the first six hours of climbing in the middle of the night,” says Forest.
“But once you get to a certain point, about forty minutes from the top, the hike there is just adrenaline.”
Much of the determination to reach the summit came from the desire to raise money for the “Feed the Lions” program for Leo Hayes High School in Fredericton, which helps students experiencing food insecurity.
The goal is $10,000 and so far, about $7,000 has been raised. Donations are still rolling in, and being welcomed.
“Even though it may go unseen, there are a lot of students who don’t have reliable access to affordable and nutritious food, and food stability is such a major issue especially in the winter months,” says Forest.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Minister 'outraged' after AFN national chief's headdress taken from Air Canada cabin
The federal minister of Crown-Indigenous relations is calling on Air Canada to 'make things right' with the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, who said her headdress was removed from an airplane cabin during a flight this week.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Canada recognizes housing as a human right. Few provinces have followed suit
As more Canadians find themselves struggling to afford or find housing, the country's smallest province is the only one that can point to legislation recognizing housing as a human right.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'Violation': CSIS had officer investigated after she reported a superior raped her
A CSIS officer's allegations that she was raped repeatedly by a superior in agency vehicles set off a harassment inquiry, but also triggered an investigation into her that concluded the alleged attacks were a “misuse” of agency vehicles by the woman.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.